Desperate hunt for missing sisters, aged 12 and 25, feared dead in Montecito mudslides as Catholic school founder, real estate broker and father, are among the 16 buried alive ...

Rohter was a former real estate broker before he founded the school ... Tyler McManigal, 28, who is stationed in Hawaii with the Navy, said he was notified yesterday that his father and brother had been swept away by the flooding in Montecito.

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By Hannah Parry and Kelly Mclaughlin For Dailymail.com Published: 11:13 EST, 10 January 2018 | Updated: 17:21 EST, 10 January 2018 e-mail
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Family and friends are desperately hunting for two sisters who are missing and feared dead in the California mudslides, as the death toll rises to 16.Sawyer Corey, 12, and her stepsister Morgan Corey, 25, have not been seen since downpours sent mud and boulders roaring down fire ravaged hills in the wealthy neighborhood of Montecito on Tuesday.The sisters were asleep in their home with Sawyer's twin sister, Summer, and their mother, Carie Baker, when the mudslide hit.Baker and Summer Corey were later rescued and taken to hospital in critical condition.Scroll down for video Sawyer Corey, 12, (left) and her stepsister Morgan Corey, 25, (right) have not been seen since downpours sent mud and boulders roaring down fire ravaged hills in the wealthy neighborhood of Montecito on Tuesday Actress Sarah Paulson even joined the search effort, sharing a picture of the girls after one of the assistant directors on American Horror Story told her they were missingFriends and family have launched a social media search for Saywer and Morgan, whose whereabouts are still unknown. Actress Sarah Paulson even joined the search effort, sharing a picture of the girls after one of the assistant directors on American Horror Story told her they were missing.'Got a devastating email from @nicoleburkead our 1st Ad on AHS, asking me to get the word out about her friend's children- Please help if you are able,' she wrote on Instagram RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Seventeen dead, 24 missing and 300 trapped in California.. Helicopters fly some of the 13,000 trapped tourists out of.. Share this article Share
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'My friends daughters are missing! Please help find themA mudslide devoured their home at 3am. Sawyer (12) Morgan (25). Last seen 1231 E valley rd Santa Barbara. Please RT. #missing #missingperson #Montecito #SantaBarbara #mudslides.'At least 16 are dead and many more are still missing after the mudslides slammed into homes, covered highways and swept away vehicles early on Tuesday when more than a half-inch (1.5cm) of rain fell in five minutes, a rate that far exceeds the normal flash flood threshold Morgan (left), and Sawyer Corey (right with her twin sister and mother), 12, were asleep in their home with Sawyer's twin sister, Summer, and their mother, Carie Baker, when the mudslide hit early Tuesday morning Cottages are surrounded by several feet of mud and debris after mudslides in Montecito, California, after the mudslides US 101 was completely impassable at the Olive Mill Road overpass after it flooded with runoff water from Montecito CreekThe critical coastal highway has been completely shut down for 30 miles between Ventura and Santa BarbaraRoy Rohter, a father and the founder of the StAugustine Academy in Ventura, was killed in the mudslide, the Catholic school's headmaster Michael Van Hecke told the Associated Press reportedHis wife Theresa, 68, was injured and taken to hospital in a stable conditionRohter was a former real estate broker before he founded the school.'Roy Rohter was a man of strong faith and a great friend of Catholic education,' Michael FMcLean, president of the college, said in a statement'He played a pivotal role in the lives of countless young Catholic students — students who came to a deeper knowledge and love of Christ because of his vision, commitment and generosity.' Rebecca Riskin, 61, of Coach Village Road, a real estate broker and founder of Riskin Partners, and her two dogs was swept down Glenoaks Boulevard, according to one of her neighbors.'I'm really worried about my mother and doggies,' her daughter Julia Kate Riskin Shillings, wrote. Adding later, that her mother was not safe.Lauren Cantin, 14, was rescued from her collapsed Montecito home where she had been trapped for hoursVideo captured the moment firefighters, who heard her screams, pulled the mud-caked teen free from the mud The first confirmed death was Roy Rohter (pictured above), a former real estate broker who founded StAugustine Academy in VenturaHis wife Theresa was injured by the mudslide James (left) and Alice (right) Mitchell have also been reported as missing by their family'I thought I was dead for a minute there,' she could be heard saying on video posted by KNBC-TV before she was taken away on a stretcher.But her father Dave Cantin, a VP, Global Sales & Marketing at NDS Surgical Imaging, was sadly not so luckyBoth Dave and Lauren's brother Jack were swept away in the floods and reported missing yesterday. Friends have since revealed on social media that Dave was killed in the floods, while Jack, who attends Santa Barbara High School, was rescued and is hospital.Family friend Brian Maher said: 'I was updated by my family that John passed and his son was pulled down the river and livedPrayers for the family.' Alice, 78, and Jim Mitchell, 89, who live on Hot Springs Road, on the corner of Olive Mill which was badly affected by the mudslides, have also been missing since Tuesday, along with their white poodle Gigi. Their grandchildren Megan and Alan are desperately searching for them in the wake of the disaster. 'I'm looking for my grandparents, James and Alice MitchellTheir residence was at 319 Hot Springs Rd and the home was destroyedI'm hoping someone out there has seen them in the evacuation shelters and can give us some info,' Megan tweeted. Rebecca Riskin (pictured) 61, of Coach Village Road, a real estate broker and founder of Riskin Partners, and her two dogs is missing after mud swept down Glenoaks Boulevard, according to one of her neighbors Josie Gower (pictured), 69, a retired nurse from Santa Barbara, is also missing and feared dead Larry and Judy Anderson, who live on Feather Hill, Montecito, have also been reported missing by family and friends Fabiola (left) and her son Johnathan Benitez (right) were last seen on East Valley Road and Hot SpringsThe family are hoping to find them at an evacuation center, but they have not heard from the couple since the mudslide hit.Mother-of-two Fabiola Benitez and her son Johnathan were last seen on East Valley Road and Hot Springs on Tuesday and their family are 'frantic' with worry. Lori Lieberman, who employs Benitez's father as a gardener, said that the Benitez's home had been destroyed by the mudslideHer husband and older son escaped and are in hospital but Fabiola and Jonathan had not been seen since. Tyler McManigal, 28, who is stationed in Hawaii with the Navy, said he was notified yesterday that his father and brother had been swept away by the flooding in Montecito. He told the LA Times that his dad John, 64, had rushed to wake up his son Connor after the flash flood warning went out.The pair made it out of their home, in Hot Springs Road, but were swept up in the gushing floodwaters that ripped through their home. Connor has since been found almost a mile away from their home, on the 101 Freeway, and taken to a local hospital, but John, a dad-of-six, is still missing. Dave Cantin (left) and his son Jack (right) were swept away in the floods and reported missing yesterdayJack has since been rescued but friends say Dave was killed in the mudslide Firefighters are pictured above rescuing a girl from the mudslide. Multiple bodies were found during the rescue operations on Tuesday in Montecito, 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles Firefighters rescued the 14-year-old who was trapped for hours inside a destroyed home in Montecito on TuesdayRescue crews worked for six hours using the jaws of life and other tools to free her from the mangled wreckage, but she walked awayJosie Gower, 69, a retired nurse from Santa Barbara, is also missing and feared deadHer son-in-law Alastair Haigh said she disappeared from the 1700 block of East Valley Road in the floods and has not been seen since.Her friend Rebecca Brand, who posted a picture of herself with Gower, said she was 'broken' by the news. 'I'm broken, my friend Josie Gower is missingPlease say prayers for her safety#CAstorm #Montecito.' Larry and Judy Anderson, who live on Feather Hill, Montecito, have also been reported missing by family and friends. Local resident Noni Holroyd said that DrMontgomery and his daughter were also missing. At least 25 people were injured in the mudslides and 24 were missing on WednesdayAround 300 people are still trapped in their homes after the floods. Multiple bodies were found during the rescue operations on Tuesday in Montecito, 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.'We don't know how many additional people are still trapped,' Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said'We know there are some, and we're still making our way into certain areas of Montecito and the adjacent areas to determine if anyone is still there and still alive.'Brown likened the devastation wreaked by the mudslides to that seen on the battlefields of World War One.'We have no idea where they're atWe think somewhere in the debris field,' Amber Anderson, a Santa Barbara County spokeswoman, said of the missing.'Right now our assets are focused on determining if anyone is still alive in any of those structures that have been damaged,' Brown said.He said that several dozen homes were destroyed or severely damaged, and that there are probably many more in similar condition in areas still inaccessible.At least 25 people were injured, 50 or more had to be rescued by helicopters, authorities saidFour of the injured were reported in severely critical condition. more videos 1 2 3 Watch video Harvey Weinstein backhanded slapped in the face by fellow diner Watch video Baby stuns dad as he says 'hello' at just 12-weeks-old Watch video Police dashcam shows teenager firing at officers before being shot Watch video Heart-warming moment homeless boy gets new home Watch video Car careens downhill like a bobsleigh in LA mudslide Watch video Olivia Munn spoofs Nancy Kerrigan in Critics' Choice skit Watch video Kumail Nanjiani thanks 'all the white men' at Critics' award Watch video Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip 2 completes safe landing in Mojave Watch video Jay Pharoah & Olivia Munn opening rap monologue Critics' Choice Watch video Shocking footage of starving villagers stoning cow to death Watch video 'We should get ice cream': Brooklynn Prince to fellow nominees Watch video Mary Elizabeth Winstead adds a pop of color at Critics' Choice
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Many of the victims were located in the mandatory evacuation zone (yellow) but five were in the voluntary evacuation area (red) The US Coast Guard shows Coast Guard members rescues a family of five, including the mother, father, their newborn, seven-year-old son, three-year-old daughter and two dogs after their house was overtaken by a mudslide, in Santa Barbara County, California The Coast Guard helps the family off the roof where they had been sheltering against the floods Santa Barbara County Fire Search Dog Reilly looks for victims in damaged and destroyed homes in Montecito on Tuesday Mudslides slammed into homes, covered highways and swept away vehicles early on Tuesday when more than a half-inch (1.5cm) of rain fell in five minutes, a rate that far exceeds the normal flash flood thresholdPictured above, an aerial view of Montecito following the mudslide Solar panels from a home in Montecito were among the debris of multi-million dollar houses and cars on Wednesday This map shows the evacuation zonesThe orange zones were subject to voluntary evacuation while the yellow was the mandatory evacuation zoneDespite the orders to leave, only an estimated ten to 15 per cent of people in a mandatory evacuation area of Santa Barbara County heeded the warning, authorities saidWHY RESIDENTS WITH 'EVACUATION FATIGUE' CHOSE NOT TO FLEE MONTECITO MUDSLIDES Residents of the plush neighborhood of Montecito were suffering 'evacuation fatigue' from last month's deadly wildfires when they chose to ignore orders to leave their homes as deadly mudslides threatened them. It is one of the reasons why at least 16 people are dead and another 24 are missing as a result of the floods in Southern California, according to locals. NBC cited officials who said they feared earlier in the week that residents in the plush, 9,000-person population enclave would not listen to their warnings. As predicted, many did not anticipate how severe the mudslides would be and chose to stay at home on Monday night. The Californian town of Montecito on Tuesday morning after devastating mudslidesThey awoke to their homes being swept away by mud and water. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for part of the enclave, which is home to nearly 9,000, on Monday night. Those areas were further from the coast and closer to the hillside areas which were entirely ravaged by the Thomas wildfire last month. Authorities have said it is still too early to say whether the mandatory evacuation order zone is worse affected than the voluntary zone. 'This isn’t an exact science in terms of defining where [a mudslide] is going to "happen,"'A lot depends on Mother NatureThis was their best guess estimate of where things were going to occur, and as it turns out, they were exactly right,' Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said on Tuesday.Brown added that it was 'impossible' to say exactly where the mudslides have destroyed as they continue to work through the chaos.Experts had been working 'feverishly' since the wildfires to avoid the very scenario they now face. The county's Public Works Department deputy director said his team had done 'everything' they could to prevent it before the storm hit. Now, they are focusing on clearing the debris and restoring the creeks to put back in place their crucial storm systems before more storms hit. 'Mourning the dead in our little town tonightPraying for the survivors and preparing for whatever may come#Montecito,' actor Rob Lowe, who lives in the area, wrote on Twitter.Most deaths were believed to have occurred in Montecito, a wealthy enclave of about 9,000 people northwest of Los Angeles that is home to such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe and Ellen DeGeneres. Part of the area was in the mandatory evacuation zone. But only an estimated ten to 15 per cent of 7,000 people in the mandatory evacuation area of Santa Barbara County, which includes including Carpinteria, Montecito and Goleta, heeded the warning, authorities said.It is not clear how the mandatory evacuation was enforced. Another 23,000 were urged to evacuate voluntarily, some of them for a second time since December.Sheriff Bill Brown said that a number of deaths and rescue missions occurred in voluntary evacuation zones more videos 1 2 3 Watch video Police dashcam shows teenager firing at officers before being shot Watch video Cute moment girls think Costco worker is Maui from Disney's Moana Watch video Baby stuns dad as he says 'hello' at just 12-weeks-old Watch video Oprah shows how the California mudslide has affected her home Watch video Car careens downhill like a bobsleigh in LA mudslide Watch video Kumail Nanjiani thanks 'all the white men' at Critics' award Watch video Olivia Munn spoofs Nancy Kerrigan in Critics' Choice skit Watch video Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip 2 completes safe landing in Mojave Watch video Jay Pharoah & Olivia Munn opening rap monologue Critics' Choice Watch video Shocking footage of starving villagers stoning cow to death Watch video 'We should get ice cream': Brooklynn Prince to fellow nominees Watch video Mary Elizabeth Winstead adds a pop of color at Critics' Choice
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Another abandoned vehicle on the side of the road on WednesdayTrees were felled and road signs almost flattened by the mudslides A deadly winter storm closes down the 101 Freeway as mud and debris fill north and south lanes in Santa Barbara, California, on Tuesday US 101 was completely impassable at the Olive Mill Road overpass after it flooded with runoff water from Montecito CreekThe critical coastal highway has been completely shut down for 30 miles between Ventura and Santa Barbara Members of the Heavy Water Search and Rescue team help evacuate a resident along Montecito Creek that was trapped in her home surrounded by heavy mud and flood debris Officials have ordered residents in a large swath of Montecito to stay in their homes so that rescuers can better go about their workAbout 300 people were stranded in a canyon The main line of the Union Pacific Railroad through Montecito is blocked with mudflow and debris due to heavy rains Most deaths were believed to have occurred in Montecito, a wealthy enclave of about 9,000 people northwest of Los Angeles that is home to such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey (left with Stedman Graham), Rob Lowe and Ellen DeGeneresPictured above, Winfrey's $50million home in MontecitoOne person was also killed in a weather-related fatality in Los Angeles County.Mudslides slammed into homes, covered highways and swept away vehicles early on Tuesday when more than a half-inch (1.5cm) of rain fell in five minutes, a rate that far exceeds the normal flash flood threshold. Oprah Winfrey's home survived the storms, but she shared a number of videos on Instagram showing the knee-deep mud in her yard, a gas fire nearby and helicopters rescuing her neighbors. Former tennis star Connors told his Twitter followers that he had to be evacuated from his home by helicopter.The upscale communities of Montecito and Carpenteria, just outside the city of Santa Barbara, were hardest hitOver the past month California's scenic coastline was ravaged by a series of intense wildfires that burned off vegetation. Rescue teams have been working tirelessly to save the trapped residents, launching daring aerial rescues to help people stranded on their cars or roof tops. Crews used helicopters to pluck more than 50 people from rooftops because trees and power lines blocked roads, dozens more were rescued on the ground.Neighbors helped neighbors, such as one couple who dug a baby out of four feet of mud after hearing crying coming from the next house Carpinteria resident Jeff Gallup carries his bike through mud on Foothill Road in Carpinteria on Tuesday Elsewhere in Montecito, Berkeley Johnson (pictured left with his wife, Karen) dug a baby out of four feet of mud after hearing crying coming from the neighbor's houseHow the terrifying combination of wildfires and sudden rain after dry seasons can lead to deadly mudslides Southern California was deeply damaged by wildfires in December, leaving the region prone to mudslides during the rain season. The intense fires is burned away vegetation that holds the soil in place and baking a waxy layer into the earth that prevents the water from sinking more than a few inches into the ground, experts said.Burned-over zones are especially susceptible to destructive mudslides because scorched earth doesn't absorb water well and the land is easily eroded when there are no shrubs. With one burst of heavy rain, the soil above this waterproof layer can become saturated, start to slide in hilly areas and transform into something catastrophic. 'Pretty much anywhere there's a fire on a steep slope, there's cause for concern,' Jason Kean, research hydrologist for the US Geological Survey, said earlier this month.Montecito - a wealthy enclave northwest of Los Angeles - is beneath the scar left by the Thomas Fire that erupted December 4 and became the largest ever recorded in California.The wildfire spread over more than 440 square miles and destroyed 1,063 homes and other structuresIt continues to smolder deep in the wilderness. A month later, a storm hit after a ten-month dry spell in the area following torrential rains in January and February of last year. In 2017, downtown Los Angeles experienced its driest March 1 through December 31 since 1878, with only 0.69 of an inch of rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.The sudden heavy rains combined with the devastating damage from the fires, sent mud and boulders roaring down hills that were stripped of vegetation because of the blazes. Mud was unleashed on Tuesday by flash flooding in the steep, fire-scarred Santa Ynez Mountains, wreaking further havoc and killing at least 13 residents in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.
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